The Poseidon House Mystery - Part 1

Posted on Sunday November 6th, 2022 @ 1:39am by Captain Franklin Johnson & Lieutenant Commander Ky'la De'Lenn & Lieutenant Commander Paul Sharpe & Lieutenant Commander Michael Stevens & Lieutenant Commander Calvin Hirsch & Lieutenant Commander T'Pri & Commander Sam Perkins & Lieutenant Miles O'Connell & Lieutenant Commander Kicil Priadden

3,389 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Concluding Affairs
Location: USS Poseidon; Deck 5 - Holodeck
Timeline: Current
Tags: Halloween, 2022, Spooky

[ON]

***- Outside Holodeck -***

The two cadets huddled around the open panel. After replacing the panel cover they both stood.

“ Are you sure that was ok to use that power feed regulator? Only this is a Miranda Class and that was for a Norway?” Green asked Baker

“ It’s all the same don’t worry. You heard what Chief Engineer Sharpe said. If in doubt improvise.” Baker said

“ I am not sure that is what he meant,” Green replied

“ Come on we have three replicators to fix. Unless you want to have another telling off from Lazarus.” Baker said

Perkins walked past the two hurrying crewmen. He was looking forward to this. A genuine holonovel ghost story. Sam had sent out an invitation to his fellow Poseidon's to come and join him.

=/\= Perkins to the crew of Poseidon. I have a real treat for you all! A genuine holonovel. The mystery of Poseidon's house. It’s a Ghost murder mystery. Based on an old 20 century Earth story. You are all very welcome to join me in the holodeck in half an hour. See you soon.=/\= So Sam stood waiting for his friends to arrive.

Tapping his Commbadge =/\= On my way, Sharpe out =/\= Sharpe arrived at the holodeck and looked at Sam "okay Samuel, what is going on?" Sharpe was still in his duty uniform.

In his quarters, O'Connell tapped his Commbadge, =/\= Sir, I would be honoured to partake see you then, O'Connell out. =/\= Miles then got dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a red and green striped sweater and then slipped on his favourite sneakers and headed for the holodeck.

Lieutenant Priadden was exhausted. She had been pulling double shifts in sickbay as the primary doctor and just needed some rest and relaxation, she had therefore assigned herself some time off. Her Commbadge went off Great I told Cadets Hernandez and Chambers, the young medical doctors in training, not to disturb her unless it was a true medical emergency for the next seventy-two hours. Surely these two young men, under Nurse Lieu's supervision, could handle the minor medical issues that come up. she thought upon hearing the chirp of her Commbadge. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised to hear Lieutenant Commander Perkins's voice =/\=Perkins to the crew of Poseidon. I have a real treat for you all! A genuine holonovel. The mystery of Poseidon's house. It’s a Ghost murder mystery. Based on an old 20 century Earth story. You are all very welcome to join me in the holodeck in half an hour. See you soon. =/\=Well what a pleasant diversion, just when I need it, she tapped her Commbadge =/\= Kicil here, I am on my way. =/\= With that she slide on her most comfortable deck shoes and straightened out her casual fish scale dress and headed towards the holodeck, excited to participate in a Terran Ghost Story.

Franklin was dealing with the conclusion of his Chief Engineer concerning the ageing Poseidon. The very fact he'd have to separate from her sooner rather than later was unexpected, even to the Commodore. The two had a long discussion during the previous night and so far, plans were still up when and if the Captain wanted to move forward. He had, as of yet, decided not to. He sighed, then perked up hearing the announcement from his Chief Science Officer.

=/\=The is the Captain, I have some free time. On my way! =/\=

It was the perfect distraction! He dressed casually for this, into more civilian attire. He rushed out, leaving the bridge to the second shift as they went about their duties. He arrived at the holodeck specified, waving at everyone.

"A holonovel!" he said, smiling. "very exciting. I do need a break."

"Greetings, Captain, Nice to see you are able to join us," O'Connell stated. "I have been watching classic horror films in the database and hope this is just as creepy."

Perkins smiled.

Looking at the others, Sharpe realized he was still in his uniform and forlornly "I think I might be overdressed for this!" he said looking down at his uniform

“ Well as my uncle said hang on to your hats cos you ain’t seen nothing yet. The program is called The Poseidon house mystery. Every year the rather eccentric and aloof owner of the house. Sends out invitations to a group of random strangers. It is a challenge to stay one day and night in his Great Uncle's old house. The man was notorious for his hatred of total strangers. After his son and wife were found murdered in the house. It was believed it was a burglary gone wrong. But many believe he killed them in one of his drunken rages. But nothing was ever proved. Our job is not only to stay in the house one day and night. But to also discover the truth of the murders. ”Perkins explained.

“The house on haunted hill.” Vincent Price was a thrill. Suppose this was modelled somewhat after that black-and-white masterpiece? As Security was first and foremost, Hirsch decided he had the best show up to one of Sam’s holodeck creations as something notoriously would go wrong. Not that Sam was responsible. Moreover, others would ambush him—still, the verdict on whom and how was out. Entering the holodeck, Calvin took time off from Security.

Dressed down, Calvin wore his pair of khaki-coloured shorts and a white raglan sweater tee shirt. He kept a phaser on him for physical use in case someone did show up somewhere to interfere with the central staff participating in Poseidon’s holodeck.

“Sam. Thank you for having us,” Hirsch stated simply. He was in the mood for a good horror novel, done in the saga of photons.

"Am I appropriately dressed?" Franklin asked, worried that his civilian attire might be out of place.

"If you are inappropriately dressed then so am I," O'Connell replied.

Looking at the Captain "I am the one inappropriately dressed Captain, then again I have always been the odd duck out, I am too old to change, thankfully my kids are still too young to notice that their old man is set in his ways" Sharpe commented.

The Captain laughed at that, starting to genuinely relax. "Yeah, if I had kids I don't think they would think much of me either. I'm too set in my perspectives as well. Anyway, so what's next?"

Looks at the Captain "If you are too set in your perspectives Captain then I am twenty-one years old" Sharpe said blandly to his Captain.

Franklin blinked at the outstanding retort, caught between shock and amazement as he stared at his Chief Engineering Officer.

"My, my, Mr Sharpe!" the Captain exclaimed. "I believe I have been corrected!"

Kicil arrived in the corridor outside the holodeck just in time to hear the synopsis of the holonovel. "Well, I hope, I have dressed appropriately for this," she said with a smile "as I am so looking forward to participating."

T'Pri also got appropriately costumed for this event. She knew she was playing a part however she didn't exactly know what the part was. She supposed it didn't matter. Her shipmates were fascinating.

"Hello to the new arrivals, I do not know what you think about this, but I would be interested in seeing into the mind of Sam as scary as that thought might be," Sharpe said to those who had just arrived. Sharpe looked at the Captain *raises an eyebrow* "that was a compliment Captain" he said to Johnson

"Oh! Right, my apologies," fumbled the Captain apologetically.

*giving the Captain a friendly smile

***- Stevens shared quarters -***

Micheal had just finished the last evaluation reports of his cadets when he heard about the holonovel going on in the holosuite, he turned to his wife and said "Hey Ky'la, Fancy joining me for Sam's novel?" as he rose from his seat.

"I was going to join you guys anyways. We bumped heads and well here I am!" Ky'La said laughing. Kissing Michael dead in his mouth. "Now let's go and join Sam," Ky'La said leading her soon-to-be husband.

"Yeah let's," replied Micheal looking back at her, continued "oh by the way I got promoted to Lieutenant Commander today, so now we are the same rank," as they ran towards the Holodeck.

***-Holodeck-***

Sam looked at his friends.

“ Ok let’s start.” He said as the doors hissed open.

Inside was the entrance to a vast house. Once a proud and noble building. Now it had fallen into disrepair many of its windows were cracked, some broken. The brickwork was dirty and in parts, ivy had grown up its side. A large sign although broken in places read. Poseidon house. Someone had scribbled underneath.

‘ All fear the reaper who enters here

A rather fat man in an old-style 20th-century suit was trying to open the doors. He finally gave up and turned around. He lifted his hat and waddled towards them. He mopped his face as he passed them.

“ He’s all yours…” The man said. Putting his hat back on.

"Um...…What was that supposed to mean?" Ky'La said wondering and looking around.

Franklin walked in, watching the old fat man. He kept a keen eye on his actions, glancing at Ky'La briefly. "I think he was the introduction," commented the Captain. "Come on, let's try to open the door!"

He approached it, trying his best to open it.

"Maybe we need some type of pry bar or something similar? Or even some spooky words " Ky'La said.

Calvin smiled. This was exciting. The last he remembered anything as scary was when his Aunt Helen offered two-year-old ribbon candy from her dish centered in the living room.

He looked around as they entered or tried to enter. There were trees that by now had all their leaves off of them. Much of the yard was left to any kind of groundskeeping. The old house had a feeling, and it didn’t seem welcoming. "Shiver me, timbers!"

"This seems like a great time for an engineer to get involved." O'Connell then stepped up to the door and looking down he saw a welcome mat. He leaned down and pulled back the mat to find a skeleton key. "I bet this will either open the door or come in handy later on." He inserted the key in the lock and there was a low and deep moaning sound.

Approaching the door "aww Miles you had to find that key I wanted to kick the door open!" Sharpe said then looked around "What! It is a holdover need from my days in Security and I always wanted to do it, but never got the chance" he added with a faint smile.

"My apologies sir, I figured an old house like that would have a hidden key," O'Connell replied. "However, maybe this key will help us in the rest of the story."

Suddenly the doors shook violently and a floating bodiless face appeared. It was of an old walrus bearded man with a pair of wire spectacles on his nose. Wearing an old-style dish-shaped hat with a tassel hanging down. It was full of rage and anger. In a loud booming voice full of menace it called out.

“ Ne’er-do-wells & trespasses! Whippersnappers and charlatans. They are not welcome. Turn back and come no more!!”

“ I think something does not want us going inside?” Sam said

“At least he didn’t directly shout in our faces. It might have stunk. Given how old he is.” Calvin looked around seeing nothing else moving around. “So, I can understand his frustrations though. I mean charlatans are the worst, right? He’d blow his top if a Ferengi salesman entered.”

"I admit I'd hate it if folks kept pestering me too," Franklin opined, laughing.

Kicil laughed, "So we are to be scared by a disembodied head? Please explain to me what Whippersnappers are? Am I to be considered one?" she was delighted by the holonovel so far. She couldn't wait to get inside the 'Haunted House" and see what other thrilling things would try and scare her. She looked at the rest of the group and walked into the foyer, turned, and looked at her companions "Well let's go. I do believe our honor and courage have been challenged." she said with a mischievous smile.

As Sharpe entered "why do I get a feeling we going to be having many Scooby Doo reaction moments!" He said entering the house as he felt the heckles on the back of his neck rise.

“ I believe Kicil that a Whippersnapper was a rather sarcastic reference by the elderly to describe someone much younger,” Sam explained

The entrance hall like the outside had seen better days. Dust and cobwebs covered most of the surfaces. The wallpaper had fancy ornate patterns now faded. Portraits lined the walls. The largest was of a man in a suit. Although much younger than the floating face. It was obviously the same man. A second slightly smaller portrait showed a sad but extremely beautiful woman. With a pale-looking young child in a sailor suit. Holding her hand. It was such a good painting it almost looked like real tears, were coming from the woman's eyes.

Suddenly something strange happened. The main doors slammed shut and then repeated the action.

“ Paul, is that supposed to happen?” Sam asked Sharpe.

Inwardly jumping Paul looked back as the front doors slammed, looking at Sam "Got no idea Sam, it is your holoprogram, I assumed you programmed that in!" Sharpe responded.

“ Only to slam once. Computer arch…..” Nothing happened.

“ Computer Arch.” One appeared and Perkins went over to it.

“Nothing wrong with this end. The program seems to be running ok.” Sam said

The arch vanished. But unknown to anyone inside the holodeck. Outside some smoke was coming from an access panel.

Kicil jumped a little as she was startled by the main doors slamming shut and then opening like they were. "Okay, so I would assume I am a 'Whippersnapper'. Now Commander Sharpe would you care to explain what a 'Scooby Doo reaction moment' maybe? Would my reaction to the main doors slamming and then opening repeatedly be one?" she inquired as she inspected the house and main doors more closely. Kicil was having a wonderful time so far.

"Now that is very strange, indeed," T'Pri remarked.

"Did you program the holodeck to appear haunted?" T'Pri asked.

Looking at Kicil "You have never seen the old animated scooby doo series, hmm there is this group of kids who run an organization called Mystery Inc and they investigate the strange and spooky in their town called Coolsville, the is a pair of characters called Shaggy and Scooby Doo, both get frightened easily and are the comedic ones on the group, whenever one gets scared he usually jumps into the others hand shaking madly and the duos favorite saying is Zoinks! But I suggest you catch some episodes to get my full meaning" Sharpe said to Kicil "sorry cannot explain it any better, but it is something you have to see, but I dare say we are all in for a spooky adventure" he added.

"I see, when this is over, I shall have to look up this Scooby Doo series in the computer banks," replied Kicil with a smile.

"Kicil, you will do just fine just suspend your disbelief and allow your mind to be open to the unknown." O'Connell stated, "Cardassians seem to have a different concept of horror and fear than other humanoids but you will be fine,"

Kicil looked at O'Connell, "You also must remember I was raised by Vulcans, on Vulcan, so I do sometimes find it difficult to 'suspend' disbelief. I am however enjoying this."

Franklin just followed along, feeling for the first time the enjoyment of knowing someone else was in control. He did enjoy his leadership role, but it felt nice to...play along. He smiled as he followed closely behind Sharpe and Kicil.

Just then a cat walked into the room. It looked at them and hissed. Then it turned and moved towards a door that opened on its own. From inside a piano could be heard playing a rather mournful tune. Also, they could hear a woman crying.

"That crying woman sounds like a diversion to make us appear to feel sad but the real threat will come up behind us," O'Connell stated as he looked in the opposite direction of the crying.

Hirsch was finding this a little bit of a hoot. He loved Halloween and old horror movies. Being in a holodeck one with a trap house feel to it was interesting. Hirsch wanted to capture the faces of everyone as he rolled along a polaroid with him, snapping and then placing them into his security bag for an album later to show everyone.

“Say cheese!” Hirsch was snapping instant pictures of Kecil, Johnson, T’Pri, Ky’la, O’Connell, Sharpe & Priadden, Etc., at different times throughout the horror house.

"Wow, you even went as far as to create an antique imaging device to make files of us for a collection." O'Connell stated to Hirsch, "I can develop a means to have the images transferred into a specific data log so you can access them in the antique format at a later date."

"That would be gr-" THWACK!!! What was a tall standing old-style metal rake in the middle of the living room, a ghost's cloak was draped over the long wood handle swung upward hitting Hirsch hard right in his face! "UNNNNHhhhhhhhhh" Hirsch dropped his camera to the floor in the haunted house. Holding his nose, he prayed it wasn't broken. "Be careful of the rake!" Cal mumbled through his hands covering his face.

Kicil seeing that Commander Hirsch had hit his face when he stepped on a rake, immediately came over to assist him. "Let me take a look at that injury Commander," she said in her doctor's authoritarian voice.

Looking around and then at Hirsch "and the plot thickens!" *looks at Sam* "Sam you sure this is all part of the program or is there something really going on?" Sharpe asked Perkins

“ No this is not. Computer arch!” Sam said

Nothing.

“ Computer freeze program,” Sam said crossing his fingers, nothing.

“ Paul I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore…..sorry I mean something is wrong. We are trapped.” Sam warned.

"Voice command seems to be non-operational," T'Pri said. She wondered if the safety protocols were off as well.

"Uh oh," said the Captain as he looked around. "This isn't good. Poseidon is far too old for these shenanigans. Could it be something to do with the power conduits we replaced?"

"Perhaps the processors are overloaded," T'Pri said.

"The holodecks were just overhauled a week ago and were operating normally," O'Connell responded. "I did it myself as I was getting an anomalous reading in holodeck 2 when I tried to run a simulation of a new method to refine the dilithium fragments to make the most of the remnants for emergency reserves.

“I saw two engineering personnel walking past me when I arrived. They wouldn’t have done something silly would they?” Sam asked.

Just then a loud booming voice called out.

“ YOUR ONLY WAY OUT IS TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY.” Then the most high-pitched evil laugh began.

Looked around as he heard the voice and settled on Perkings "Ruh Roh!" he said aping Scooby Doo's regular comment in such situations "Computer Arch" Sharpe said and it did not show "well if none of you believed in spiritual hauntings before, you can cross this off your bucket list" he commented dryly.

To be continued in prt2……

----------

[OFF]

Captain Franklin Johnson
Commanding Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lt. Cmndr. Ky'la De'Lenn
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lt Commander Paul Sharpe
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lieutenant Commander Sam Perkins
Chief Science Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lieutenant Miles O'Connell
Deputy Chief Engineering Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lieutenant Kicil Priadden
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lieutenant Commander Calvin Hirsch
Chief of Security
USS Poseidon

&

Lieutenant Cmdr Micheal Stevens
Chief Operations
USS Poseidon

&

Lt. Cmndr. T'Pri
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Poseidon

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